I had my screening appointment with the fertility doctor today. It went very smooth. They said to anticipate this appointment to be about 2-2 1/2 hours long. My appointment was at 11am, and I was outta there by 12:25. yaaay
I arrived there 20 minutes early. I checked in and gave them stack of 40 pages that I had filled out yesterday (the other 30 were for the agency). She made a copy of my DL, and told me to have a seat and theyll be with me in a little bit.
I was in the waiting room for only 15 minutes and got called back to get my blood drawn (6 vials!) and to give a urine sample. After that, I was taken to the ultrasound room. I was told to undress from the waist down, and as opposed to what happened to other Surrogates, I was allowed to keep my socks on. First was a trans-vaginal ultrasound-done by an ultrasound tech, to check my uterus. Then I waited 10 min for the doctor to come in to do the SIS (my last post had a description of what exactly that entailed). It was pretty easy, I felt a little discomfort but not much. I had forgotten about taking the pain medication, luckily it wasnt needed. That was completed in less than 10 minutes. The doctor had a great sense of humor! He said, congrats, you passed the uterus test lol. I got dressed and was directed to wait in the waiting room. Stayed there for only 5 minutes and was called back to speak with the doctor. He went over my paperwork with me, we spoke about my previous pregnancies, he talked with me about the risks of IVF and he also asked if I have met with the Intended Parents yet. Proudly, I have-remember, skype ;-) After we were done speaking, I went to the waiting room for 5 minutes while they checked to make sure everything was completed. It was, and I was able to leave.
Easy, Peasy, Lemon Squeezie
Because the appointment was quicker than I thought, there was no traffic....perfect!!
I am now starting the contract phase. We are all trying to work together as quickly as possible on this. Luckily, the IP's and I agree so far on everything. The agency has really done a great job with this match! The agency pretty much already had my basic requests and preferences, so there shouldnt be any hiccups in this stage.....God willing <3
The doctor had mentioned that the couple is hoping to do a transfer in April!!!! The way I understand it, right now I am on week 2 of my Birth Control Pills (BCPs). My 4th week is the week of my period, and because this is going to be a natural IVF transfer, I will not take any pills after that. I will go in for monitoring every couple of days-possibly every day, so the doctor can keep an eye on the thickening of the lining of my uterus. When the doctor is satisfied with the thickness, then we will have the transfer!! So, they said to expect the transfer to be done mid-April!! That is so exciting to me because my son, T's birthday is April 18th!! I told him he is my good luck charm!! My IP's really want their child to be born in the Chinese year of the horse and T was born in the year of the horse!! How coincidental and exciting!!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Matched!!!
Before I begin this post, I want to extend my gratitude to my little son, T. He went on his Minecraft game and designed the rollarcoaster background for my blog.....Thank you buddy!! <3 ;-)
Now for all you readers wondering how my skype call went with this new couple......it went GREAT!!! I am so excited!! We are officially matched and they are sooo happy to work with me!! They have a son, 17 years old from a previous marriage and are wanted a child together. The greatest news is that they are local!! They will be able to accompany me to all my doctor appointments! This is exactly what I was praying for!
Within an hour of us hanging up, I received a phone call from the agency to ask for an official yes from me....my answer was, yeahhhhh of course!! :-) The agency told me to expect a phone call from the fertility doctor that the couple is working with.
About an hour after that, the fertility clinic called me to schedule my screening appointment. I will have blood drawn, give a urine sample, and an SIS done...more on that later...also I normally would have needed to have a pap smear done, but luckily for me I had it done in January with my yearly physical ;-) hahahaha
So, my appointment for all this, is this coming Thursday at 11am!! She said to expect the appointment to last 2-2 1/2 hours. And I am to bring my pap smear record from January with me so I wont need it done again. There is more good news! This is a fertility clinic that specializes in a more natural approach....which means no extra unnecessary medication. I am not sure how much medication I will need to be taking but the nurse that I spoke with reassured me that this time is going to be very different than my last time. (FYI: The last Surro-Journey was with a different doctor/clinic and also a different agency) That is great news for my body....and maybe that will mean no injections...lol not sure tho.
I received an email confirmation from the clinic, along with documents that are to be printed, completed, and signed. I also received another email, but from the agency with other documents that are also to be printed, completed, and signed. So since I have no printer, this evening me and my daughter headed for the library.
I printed all the pages which equaled to be almost 70 papers!!! L was able to get a book to read and another one to draw characters. We love the library :-) So, tomorrow will be spent reading, writing, and signing. :-/
Okay a little more info about the SIS...Saline Infusion Sonogram. With my first surrogacy, I didnt need to have this done. Each doctor makes this decision. I dont know too much info about it yet, although I will be asking Google allllll about it tomorrow, lol. The only thing I know is that they put a little saline water into your uterus and use a trans-vaginal ultrasound machine to look more closely at the uterus lining for scar tissue, fibroids or any other abnormalities. They want to make sure I have a normal uterine cavity. I had been advised to take an ibuprofen about 1 hour prior to my appointment, to help with any cramping or discomfort. I will be driving myself to the clinic and home thru traffic, so I will definitely take the pain medicine.
Speaking of traffic, I dont anticipate too much traffic going there, however to come home is probably going to be another story. Google maps says the fertility clinic is 32 miles away with 2 toll roads. Thats not bad, but that means I will be in the afternoon traffic to come home.
Thats about everything. Tomorrow I should buy a new pack of pens just to get thru all the paperwork. I cant believe there are almost 70 papers that need to be filled out....soooo not looking forward to that.....but its important and has to be done.
Now for all you readers wondering how my skype call went with this new couple......it went GREAT!!! I am so excited!! We are officially matched and they are sooo happy to work with me!! They have a son, 17 years old from a previous marriage and are wanted a child together. The greatest news is that they are local!! They will be able to accompany me to all my doctor appointments! This is exactly what I was praying for!
Within an hour of us hanging up, I received a phone call from the agency to ask for an official yes from me....my answer was, yeahhhhh of course!! :-) The agency told me to expect a phone call from the fertility doctor that the couple is working with.
About an hour after that, the fertility clinic called me to schedule my screening appointment. I will have blood drawn, give a urine sample, and an SIS done...more on that later...also I normally would have needed to have a pap smear done, but luckily for me I had it done in January with my yearly physical ;-) hahahaha
So, my appointment for all this, is this coming Thursday at 11am!! She said to expect the appointment to last 2-2 1/2 hours. And I am to bring my pap smear record from January with me so I wont need it done again. There is more good news! This is a fertility clinic that specializes in a more natural approach....which means no extra unnecessary medication. I am not sure how much medication I will need to be taking but the nurse that I spoke with reassured me that this time is going to be very different than my last time. (FYI: The last Surro-Journey was with a different doctor/clinic and also a different agency) That is great news for my body....and maybe that will mean no injections...lol not sure tho.
I received an email confirmation from the clinic, along with documents that are to be printed, completed, and signed. I also received another email, but from the agency with other documents that are also to be printed, completed, and signed. So since I have no printer, this evening me and my daughter headed for the library.
I printed all the pages which equaled to be almost 70 papers!!! L was able to get a book to read and another one to draw characters. We love the library :-) So, tomorrow will be spent reading, writing, and signing. :-/
Okay a little more info about the SIS...Saline Infusion Sonogram. With my first surrogacy, I didnt need to have this done. Each doctor makes this decision. I dont know too much info about it yet, although I will be asking Google allllll about it tomorrow, lol. The only thing I know is that they put a little saline water into your uterus and use a trans-vaginal ultrasound machine to look more closely at the uterus lining for scar tissue, fibroids or any other abnormalities. They want to make sure I have a normal uterine cavity. I had been advised to take an ibuprofen about 1 hour prior to my appointment, to help with any cramping or discomfort. I will be driving myself to the clinic and home thru traffic, so I will definitely take the pain medicine.
Speaking of traffic, I dont anticipate too much traffic going there, however to come home is probably going to be another story. Google maps says the fertility clinic is 32 miles away with 2 toll roads. Thats not bad, but that means I will be in the afternoon traffic to come home.
Thats about everything. Tomorrow I should buy a new pack of pens just to get thru all the paperwork. I cant believe there are almost 70 papers that need to be filled out....soooo not looking forward to that.....but its important and has to be done.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Dynamite!! ;-)
Here is the post that I promised about my first Surrogate experience.
I decided that I wanted to be a Surrogate Mother after my daughter was in 2004. All my pregnancies were enjoyable and the childbirths were very quick....to quick even for epidurals. There was a couple in my church that had fertility problems. They were in our close circle of friends. They explored their options, including surrogacy. That was the first time I had heard about it. They ended up adopting two precious little girls, but that didnt stop me from contemplating becoming a Surrogate Mother. (Sidebar: There are 2 types of Surrogates: Gestational Surrogate, thats me-only carries the embryo, literally the nest for the embie....and the other is a Traditional Surrogate-she donates her eggs to use and then also becomes the nest for the lil embie) Over the years, it continued to stay in my mind. Finally towards the end of 2009, I signed up with an agency (tho never again will I work with that agency).
I was matched with a couple first, but that didnt work out, and by April of 2010 I was matched with my German Couple: T and T. The wife looked so much like me since we both have German background, and we bonded instantly. We emailed everyday, they were so interested in me and my children. They were so caring and thoughtful and loving. By the end of July we had completed everything including screening, bloodwork, psychological meeting, and even contracts signed. And Mid-August was our transfer. The transfer actually would have been even sooner,but T had a problem with her eggs.
T and T came with me to my regularly scheduled doctor check up at almost 39 weeks pregnant. My blood pressure was a little high and there was protein in my urine. The doctor sent me right over to the hospital where they admitted me to keep an eye on my BP. 2 days later, when I was 39 weeks pregnant, they decided to induce me. They broke my water, and Baby N was born quickly after. He was so cute and small, he looked like a little old man, lol. The IM was taking natural medications to sort of trick her body into thinking it had given birth so that her body would start naturally producing milk. In the meantime, I pumped and she fed lil N the breastmilk. A few days later, she started producing milk. I continued to pump until the left for Germany a few weeks later. I still receive emails and updates now and again.
But theres my TNT story ;-) Dynamite!!
I decided that I wanted to be a Surrogate Mother after my daughter was in 2004. All my pregnancies were enjoyable and the childbirths were very quick....to quick even for epidurals. There was a couple in my church that had fertility problems. They were in our close circle of friends. They explored their options, including surrogacy. That was the first time I had heard about it. They ended up adopting two precious little girls, but that didnt stop me from contemplating becoming a Surrogate Mother. (Sidebar: There are 2 types of Surrogates: Gestational Surrogate, thats me-only carries the embryo, literally the nest for the embie....and the other is a Traditional Surrogate-she donates her eggs to use and then also becomes the nest for the lil embie) Over the years, it continued to stay in my mind. Finally towards the end of 2009, I signed up with an agency (tho never again will I work with that agency).
I was matched with a couple first, but that didnt work out, and by April of 2010 I was matched with my German Couple: T and T. The wife looked so much like me since we both have German background, and we bonded instantly. We emailed everyday, they were so interested in me and my children. They were so caring and thoughtful and loving. By the end of July we had completed everything including screening, bloodwork, psychological meeting, and even contracts signed. And Mid-August was our transfer. The transfer actually would have been even sooner,but T had a problem with her eggs.
Ok let me back up a little bit. After the contracts were signed, T and T arrived here in the US for her egg retrieval. However, after arriving and being checked out by the fertility doctor, we all realized that the hormone medication that she was taking in Germany was a lower dosage. Her eggs were supposed to have grown and multiplied by that time but they didnt. The fertility doctor in Thousand Oaks was so sweet towards T. He upped her meds and did the best he could with the limited time available....T and T were only here for a short time due to visiting visas. The last day possible, the doctor was able to retrieve only 2 eggs. After fertilization, there was only 1 grade A embryo. That was implanted into my uterus via IVF Mid-August and I was pregnant.Of course, thats putting things simply. there was alot more stress and worries. Anyways, even though they live in Germany, they became my 2nd family. The IM (Intended Mother) became like a sister or Auntie to me. We emailed every day. I video taped every doctor appt for them. And as my due date grew closer, my IPs and also my own mother planned their trip out to California to be with me to support me as my 1st Surrogacy Journey was coming to an end. My mom flew here along with my lil sister and my niece. We had a full house for Easter 2011!
T and T came with me to my regularly scheduled doctor check up at almost 39 weeks pregnant. My blood pressure was a little high and there was protein in my urine. The doctor sent me right over to the hospital where they admitted me to keep an eye on my BP. 2 days later, when I was 39 weeks pregnant, they decided to induce me. They broke my water, and Baby N was born quickly after. He was so cute and small, he looked like a little old man, lol. The IM was taking natural medications to sort of trick her body into thinking it had given birth so that her body would start naturally producing milk. In the meantime, I pumped and she fed lil N the breastmilk. A few days later, she started producing milk. I continued to pump until the left for Germany a few weeks later. I still receive emails and updates now and again.
But theres my TNT story ;-) Dynamite!!
Another Match...
Soooo, I had my phone call last week with the potential IP's (Intended Parents). Everything went great!! We talked from 7am till 830! Friday the agency asked me a few questions that the couple had wanted to know including small things like exactly how many weeks did I give birth to each of my kids, and also my Surro-Son. That took some digging, but since I have kept calendars for each of my children, along with every email from during my Surrogacy in 2011, I was able to find all of the information.
Monday morning I received a phone call. I was so excited to answer, however, the call did not go as I thought it would. Apparently the couple I had skyped with are no longer IP's. They decided they are not ready to start their Surrogacy Journey. I thought at first it was something that I said or did but the agency quickly let me know that it had nothing to do with me. She said she was actually calling because they have another couple who are highly interested in me and would like to skype with me tomorrow morning, if I am interested.
She asked me a few more questions, like if I had any pets (I would assume that is because a pregnant woman cannot clean a cat litter box because she seemed pleased to hear that I only have a chihuahua). She also wanted to know if I am on birth control pills (BCP) or if I had an IUD or taking birth control shots. Again she was pleased to hear may answer-BCPs for a few years now. With an IUD or the shots you need to be off them for about 6 months before you can start the process of becoming a Surrogate Mother. After the phone call, she emailed me the parent profile to review.
So once again, lol, I have a skype meeting with a pair of IPs tomorrow morning at 10am. I am excited yet nervous at the same time. I signed up with this agency almost 2 weeks ago, and since then, this is my 3rd "match" :-/ Im sorta starting to feel a bit shuffled around. I really hope God opens the doors for me. If this is the right couple, than I pray things go well tomorrow morning!
Monday morning I received a phone call. I was so excited to answer, however, the call did not go as I thought it would. Apparently the couple I had skyped with are no longer IP's. They decided they are not ready to start their Surrogacy Journey. I thought at first it was something that I said or did but the agency quickly let me know that it had nothing to do with me. She said she was actually calling because they have another couple who are highly interested in me and would like to skype with me tomorrow morning, if I am interested.
She asked me a few more questions, like if I had any pets (I would assume that is because a pregnant woman cannot clean a cat litter box because she seemed pleased to hear that I only have a chihuahua). She also wanted to know if I am on birth control pills (BCP) or if I had an IUD or taking birth control shots. Again she was pleased to hear may answer-BCPs for a few years now. With an IUD or the shots you need to be off them for about 6 months before you can start the process of becoming a Surrogate Mother. After the phone call, she emailed me the parent profile to review.
So once again, lol, I have a skype meeting with a pair of IPs tomorrow morning at 10am. I am excited yet nervous at the same time. I signed up with this agency almost 2 weeks ago, and since then, this is my 3rd "match" :-/ Im sorta starting to feel a bit shuffled around. I really hope God opens the doors for me. If this is the right couple, than I pray things go well tomorrow morning!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
A little background
Okay, so first I guess Ill give a little background about me.
I am 32 years old. I was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I moved to Southern California in 2007. I am a mother with 3 of my own children: D is 14(son), T is 11(son), and L is 9(daughter). I have a very supportive, sweet and thoughtful boyfriend-Miguel. I am divorced from my children's father. I have a cute chihuahua-Lucy, who is currently my lil baby, lol.
In 2011, I gave birth to the most adorable lil Surro-Son ever! He will be 3 next month. They live in Germany, and I still receive email updates from time to time. Next post I will give a quick recap of my 1st Surro-Mom experience. It was so wonderful! They are the sweetest IP's ever!
Heres my re-cap of my current (2nd) journey so far.
Back in 2006, I was matched with K and F. That was the very first time I signed with an Surrogacy agency. Unfortunately things fell through and we never even got to contracts. Over the years, K and I kept in touch, however everytime she was ready, I wasnt, and vice versa. Fast forward to January 2014. Our timelines synced up and we decided to move forward without an agency. I introduced K to my fertility Dr that I had in 2011. Dr. Kumar and his staff in Thousand Oaks, CA are simply amazing, and dedicated! Well, unfortunately for me, K and F decided they didnt feel comfortable with me not being married anymore. They are still proceeding forward with Dr. Kumar but with one of his surrogates. I wish them the best of luck. I was so hurt, upset and even offended. But now I realize this just wasnt the perfect couple for me.
So, I decided to sign up with the agency that my 2011 attorney is affiliated with. My attorney was amazing, so I figured her agency MUST be amazing as well. And I was right!! They have been awesome! I updated my profile on March 12th and that night I received a response!! They are on top of things and I like that. I am a very organized type of person, so I respect an agency who is also organized. Things run so much smoother with organization. I have great confidence they will find a sweet match for me. They understand that I do not want a "business relationship". I look forward to working with them. I actually already have a potential match and we are trying to set up a skype meeting for Thursday early morning. I am excited and hopeful!!
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I am 32 years old. I was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I moved to Southern California in 2007. I am a mother with 3 of my own children: D is 14(son), T is 11(son), and L is 9(daughter). I have a very supportive, sweet and thoughtful boyfriend-Miguel. I am divorced from my children's father. I have a cute chihuahua-Lucy, who is currently my lil baby, lol.
In 2011, I gave birth to the most adorable lil Surro-Son ever! He will be 3 next month. They live in Germany, and I still receive email updates from time to time. Next post I will give a quick recap of my 1st Surro-Mom experience. It was so wonderful! They are the sweetest IP's ever!
Heres my re-cap of my current (2nd) journey so far.
Back in 2006, I was matched with K and F. That was the very first time I signed with an Surrogacy agency. Unfortunately things fell through and we never even got to contracts. Over the years, K and I kept in touch, however everytime she was ready, I wasnt, and vice versa. Fast forward to January 2014. Our timelines synced up and we decided to move forward without an agency. I introduced K to my fertility Dr that I had in 2011. Dr. Kumar and his staff in Thousand Oaks, CA are simply amazing, and dedicated! Well, unfortunately for me, K and F decided they didnt feel comfortable with me not being married anymore. They are still proceeding forward with Dr. Kumar but with one of his surrogates. I wish them the best of luck. I was so hurt, upset and even offended. But now I realize this just wasnt the perfect couple for me.
So, I decided to sign up with the agency that my 2011 attorney is affiliated with. My attorney was amazing, so I figured her agency MUST be amazing as well. And I was right!! They have been awesome! I updated my profile on March 12th and that night I received a response!! They are on top of things and I like that. I am a very organized type of person, so I respect an agency who is also organized. Things run so much smoother with organization. I have great confidence they will find a sweet match for me. They understand that I do not want a "business relationship". I look forward to working with them. I actually already have a potential match and we are trying to set up a skype meeting for Thursday early morning. I am excited and hopeful!!
Follow my journey by subscribing thru email.
<---Add your email address to the left and I promise no spam....only email alerts when I add a new post ;-)
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